Pacific Rim sequel hits HBO Max this month

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Hollywood has effectively milked the Chinese theatrical market for all that it was worth; audiences in the Middle Kingdom mainly watch local movies these days. Hollywood movies can still break through on occasion, but this is getting rarer by the year. There was a solid, decade-long period, however, during which American films would often gross more in China than in North America. Warcraft , for instance, made more than $225 million in China alone; the film's total global haul stood at around $430 million. Furious 7 , the highest-grossing installment of the Fast & Furious franchise , made nearly $400 million in China. The one movie that benefited greatly from a thriving Chinese market was Guillermo del Toro 's first big-budget feature, Pacific Rim .